Production of improved dried egg whites



United States Patent Martel! M. Gladstone, Chicago, and Benjamin R.Harris,

Glencoe, Ill., as'signors, by mesne assignments, to Benjamin R. Harris,Chicago, Ill.

Application January 25, 1952, Serial No. 268,346

9 Claims, c1. 99-210 No Drawing.

This invention relates to the treatment of liquid egg whites and isparticularly concerned with the preparation of dried egg whites and,more particularly, pan-dried or tunnel-dried fermented egg whites'havingsuperior qualities and.characteristics.

It is well recognized in the art that when liquid egg whites are driedintheir natural condition a product, is produced which is objectionablefrom a number of standpoints including its reconstitution, whipping andkeeping properties. The drying and, more especially, prolonged aging as,for example, during storage or the like, cause deep-seated objectionablechanges in the properties and characteristics of the natural liquid eggwhites. It has, therefore, been standard practice to subject the liquidegg whites, prior to the drying step, to processing which may take theform of fermentation under natural conditions as, for example, in thecommon practice of producing Chinese, egg albumin, or under controlledfermentation conditions as disclosed, for example,in U. S. Patents Nos.1,818,212 and 1,818,214, or through the use of ripening, enzymatic andyeast treatments. For convenience, all of these treatments, precedingdrying, comprising bacterial, yeast, enzymatic and other processingtreatments of liquid egg whites in which the content of reducing sugarsis eliminated or decreased are referred to herein as fermentationprocedures. While such procedures result in products having certainsignificant advantages with regard to whipping properties and the like,they concomitantly introduce serious objections with respect to the odorof the final product, particularly in dried summer egg whites, and whichare manifested especially where the dried egg whites are used in bakedgoods such as angel food cakes.

In an elfort to obviate the disadvantages of heretofore knownfermentation procedures, it has been proposed to eliminate the same andresort, instead, to the treatment of natural liquid egg whites withcontrolled additions of various non-toxic acids such as lactic acid,hydrochloric acid and the like, prior to the drying operation. Despitesuch suggestions and practices in the art, the most satisfactory driedegg white products, with due regard for a number of objections theretoin relation to procedures for their preparation and, especially, inrelation to odor characteristics, have been those wherein a fermentationoperation, in one form or other, is utilized.

The present invention is predicated on the discovery that, in a methodinvolving the fermentation of liquid egg whites, if the liquid eggwhites are, prior to being dried, subjected to the action of ultravioletrays, marked improvements result in the final products, particularly inrelation to improvements in their odor characteristics, stabilityagainst deterioration during storage, and the avoidance of thedevelopment of objectionable odors in storage. These importantadvantages are obtained without sacrifice of such desired properties aswhipping, sugar-carrying capacity and functional performance in productssuch as cakes, meringues, confections and the like.

2,744,828 v Patented May 8, 1956 V 2' The subjecting of the liquid eggwhites to ultraviolet rays may be carried out in a variety of ways withvarious types of equipment. Thus, for example, the ultraviolet rays canbe projected upon thin layers of the liquid egg whites so as to insureadequate penetration of the liquid egg whites by the ultraviolet rays.In another type of procedure, the liquid egg whites may be subjected tostirring or mixing during their exposure to the ultraviolet rays so asto insure adequate exposure of the liquid egg material to theultraviolet. rays. Care should be exercis'ed, however, to avoid unduefoaming of the liquid egg whites. I In general, exposure of the liquidegg whites to the ultraviolet rays for a period of several seconds and,in certain cases, for of the order of even one or two seconds isadequate. Exposure over an extended period of time is unnecessary and,in certain cases, may be somewhat .detrimentah It is important that thetemperature whites can becontrolled readily so that the liquid eggWhites are not subjected to unduly high temperatures.

Since many types of existing equipment are available on the market forthe treatment of liquids with ultraviolet rays,.it is unnecessary torefer to any particular equipment in'connection with which the method ofthe present invention may be carried out.

violet spectrum, that. is, v the rays which pass through quartz. It isalso particularly advantageous to carry out the irradiation of theliquid egg whites in the absence or substantial absence of air. To thisend, the air in the system may be swept out and kept out of the systemby means of an inert gas such as nitrogen, argon or the like. It isdesirable to employ equipment having a capacity to treat from a thousandto five thousand gallons of liquid egg whites per hour in order toinsure economical operations.

The treatment with the ultraviolet rays can, in the broad aspect of theinvention, take place at various stages of the treatment of the liquidegg whites. Thus, for example, the subjection of the liquid egg whitesto the ultraviolet rays can be carried out either prior to thefermentation step or subsequent thereto or both prior and subsequent tothe fermentation step. In any event, the treatment with the ultravioletrays is carried out prior to the completion of the drying operation. Itis particularly desirable, however, that the irradiation treatmentprecede the fermentation treatment of the liquid egg whites. Under someconditions, the pan-drying or tunnel-drying operation can be carried outby subjecting unfermented liquid egg whites, and, more particularly, bysubjecting the previously treated fermented liquid egg whites, in theirdrying pans or the like to ultraviolet rays. In other words, ultravioletray lamps may be installed in the drying chamber. In general, however,this operation is not necessary, it being advantageous, as pointed outabove, to carry out the treatment of the liquid egg whites with theultraviolet rays prior to effecting the panor tunneldrying of thefermented liquid egg whites.

It will be understood, of course, that the method of the presentinvention can be utilized in conjunction with any known practices in theart in relation to the preparation of dried, fermented egg whites. Thus,for example, the utilization of particular pH controls, and additions ofvarious agents and the like, are all encompassed by v v v p Theequipment utilized is p of the type which generates the shorter rays ofthe ultrathe present invention so long as the treatments involvedincludeth'e 'subjection of the liquid egg 'whites 'to'a 'fe'r compassesisuchoperations providing that the liquid egg whites,iprior.to'beingQactualljdriedfare subjected tova fennentationtreatment and an:ultraviolet ray .treatment as 'described"hereinabove: SoLfa'r as thefermentation treatment is concernedgno novelty-is claimed therein per se'but'onlyiasa part of a process whichincludes an ultraviolet raytreatment of the liquid egg whites, and, especial 1y, a "processwhich-includes a drying. and particularly 7 apaneor;tunnel=drying.for.like, operation. An alternative form of drying,wherein the treated'liquid egg yvhites are whipped into a foam; and thendried, as shown in. ULI'S."

Patent No.2,20 96'3 and British Patent No. 314,887; can

be utilized." Typical fermentationzprocedures are referred;

to, for "instance; in Sj'Paitents' .Nos. l,8l8,2l.2-and- 1,8f8,2l4,-'-'previously'mentioned,"'as well. as in U. S. Patents1Nbs;1,996,801: 2,056,082, 2,166,070 and 2,460,986.

Whatwe'claim'as new and desire to protect by Ltters Patentof the-UnitedStates is:

1. Ina method of preparing an improved fermented eggs white," the stepswhichcomprise subjecting liquid egg-g whites to' the action. ofultraviolet rays'and then fermentingsaid liquid eggwhite's.

2.;In'1a"meth'od of preparingan improved fermented-e dried egg albumen,the steps; which comprise fermenting,

liquid-egg Whites 'to the action ofhltraviolet rays, fer-.menting'saiddiquidegg whites, and subsequently. pan-1 drying-them:

4.'-In"a method of preparing an improvedfermented.

dried egg albumen,

the steps which comprise fermenting liquid'egg whites, subjecting themto "the action of ultra violet rays, and subsequently pan-drying them.

5. In a method of preparing an improved fermented dried egg albumen, thestep which comprises subjecting fermented liquid egg whites; duringpan-drying thereof, to the action of ultravioletrays. v t p 6.Ifi'amethod ofpreparinganimprove'dfermente'd egg White, the steps whichcomprise subjecting liquid egg whiteswto theaactiom ofuultraviolet'rays"inathesubs'tantialst absencezof, air, and-theni fermenting 'said liquidegg whites'.

7. In a method of preparing 'animproved' fermented dried egg, albumen,thesstepstwhich comprise r. subjecting liquid egg whites totheractionsof .=ultravio1et rays in the substantial absence of air,fermenting said liquid egg whites, and subsequently pan=dryingthem.

8. In a method of preparing an improved fermented dried egg albumen, thesteps which comprise fermenting liquid egg; whites, subjecting them tothe; action of ultra-i violet. rays in the substantial absence. of 'air,and subser quently' p'an-drying them.

9; In a method of preparing an improved fermented dried egg albumen thesteps which"comp'ris'e subjecting liquid eggwhites tolh'eaction ofultravioletrays inithev substantial absence of 'air, fermenting saidliqulidleggn whites, again s'ubjectingthem to the action.of'ultraviole't.

rays'in the substantial "absence of air, andsubsequently pan-dryin g(them.

References Citedinthe file of this. patent 5 UNITED STATES. PATENTSHopkinsc. -Mar. "29, 1949

1. IN A METHOD OF PREPARING AN IMPROVED FERMENTED EGG WHITE, THE STEPSWHICH COMPRISE SUBJECTING LIQUID EGG WHITES TO THE ACTION OF ULTRAVIOLETRAYS AND THEN FERMENTING SAID LIQUID EGG WHITES.